G. Brett Williams #s 21 & 22 – Strangers and Lost Ones
Strangers and Lost Ones
A Stranger is a creature of great power and immortality. Something of a vampire, they feed on the souls of their victims, not their blood. A Stranger receives sustenance from draining the life force from another human being. Just a myth throughout our history, they are masters of staying hidden, due in large part to their method of dispatching their prey. A Stranger does not age, but they are not invulnerable. The Stranger entity is nigh-immortal, but the host body can be killed just like any normal human being. They are more durable, stronger, faster, more agile, and they can heal their wounds, but they can still be killed. These powers are at their peak right after a Stranger feeds. Once a Stranger has drained a person of their essence, he has the ability to completely burn the body away. Because of this, a Stranger tends to develop a connection with the victim, at least long enough to get them secluded for a good period of time. The process takes a while and therefore is not something that can be done quickly down some dark alley. But there are problems and things do sometimes get messy.  If a Stranger goes a certain time without feeding and thus starves to death, the entity that powers him will vacate the host body (thus killing the host) and attach to another worthy vessel. The Stranger entity can only be truly killed by a Lost One that it has created. If a Stranger never creates a Lost One, it could feasibly live forever in one host or in many. Since it’s rare for a Stranger to be so foolish or reckless as to leave behind a Lost One, a true Stranger death is rare. Sometimes, a Stranger may be in a situation where he hasn’t been able to feed for a while and will recklessly do so, not troubling himself with the consequences. Other times, a Stranger may simply be interrupted or chased off during the feeding process. Regardless of the reason, if a Stranger neglects to burn the body of the victim away, a sort of zombie like creature is created. Those creatures are the Lost Ones.
A Lost One is a body without a soul, cursed to live a lonely and ultimately emotionless existence, searching for something it lost. A Lost One is not mindless, though. Part of them, what little bit of them is left, is connected to the Stranger that created them. Because of that connection, the Lost One will always be drawn to that Stranger. Even if they don’t entirely realize it, their life will lead them along a path identical to that of their creator. The only way to silence this constant drive, to erase the memory of having their soul ripped away, is to finally find and destroy the Stranger that created them. A Lost One’s touch will destroy a Stranger much in the same way a Stranger’s burning hand will destroy the body of their victim. It only works on the Stranger that created them though. Interestingly enough, a Lost One is immune to the burning touch of a Stranger once they’ve become a Lost One. A Lost One must be totally destroyed if they are to be killed. The entire body must be burned to the bone and then the bones must be scattered and destroyed. Lost One’s need no sleep and no sustenance. They do not bleed and they do not feel pain. They are unnaturally strong and durable. If in the presence of the Stranger that created him, a Lost One will stop at nothing to reach him, going so far as to destroy anyone or anything that gets in its way.
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